By putting pressure on Apple in the key Chinese market, Qualcomm hopes to force the iPhone maker to negotiate a settlement.

Apple said on Tuesday the injunction would have no effect on its sales in China.

“All iPhone models remain available for our customers in China,” the company said, adding that it had already appealed the decision.

Public image at stake

While injunctions such as the one ordered in Fuzhou are typically not enforced with great vigor, legal analysts said it could be awkward for Apple to be put in the position of openly flouting the law.

A lawyer who formerly represented Qualcomm told the FT that the injunction could damage Apple’s standing with Chinese public opinion and the Chinese government, creating difficulties for it down the road.

Qualcomm met with similar difficulties in its handling of an antitrust investigation in China in 2013.

Qualcomm, the dominant chipmaker for smartphones, has made much of its close relationships with Chinese handset makers such as Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi.